Mayhem

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Maim \Maim\, n. [Written in law language {maihem}, and
     {mayhem}.] [OF. mehaing. See {Maim}, v.]
     1. The privation of the use of a limb or member of the body,
        by which one is rendered less able to defend himself or to
        annoy his adversary.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     2. The privation of any necessary part; a crippling;
        mutilation; injury; deprivation of something essential.
        See {Mayhem}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Surely there is more cause to fear lest the want
              there of be a maim than the use of it a blemish.
                                                    --Hooker.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A noble author esteems it to be a maim in history
              that the acts of Parliament should not be recited.
                                                    --Hayward.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  mayhem \may"hem\, n. [The same as maim. See {Maim}.]
     1. (Law) The maiming of a person by depriving him of the use
        of any of his members which are necessary for defense or
        protection. See {Maim}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Violent disorder, especially such as causes serious harm
        to persons or damage to property.
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  mayhem
       n 1: the willful and unlawful crippling or mutilation of another
            person
       2: violent and needless disturbance [syn: {havoc}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  44 Moby Thesaurus words for "mayhem":
     bankruptcy, breakage, breakdown, chaos, collapse, commotion,
     confusion, crack-up, cripple, crippling, damage, destruction,
     detriment, devastation, dilapidation, disablement, dismember,
     disorder, disrepair, encroachment, fracas, harm, havoc, hobbling,
     hurt, hurting, impairment, incapacitation, infringement, injury,
     inroad, loss, maiming, mischief, mutilate, mutilation, ruination,
     ruinousness, sabotage, scathe, sickening, spoiling, violence,
     weakening
  
  

From Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856) [bouvier]:

  MAYHEM, crimes. The act of unlawfully and violently depriving another of the 
  use of such of his members as may render him less able in fighting either to 
  defend himself or annoy his adversary; and therefore the cutting or 
  disabling, or weakening a man's hand or finger, or striking out his eye or 
  foretooth, or depriving him of those parts the loss of which abates his 
  courage, are held to be mayhems. But cutting off the ear or nose or the 
  like, are not held to be mayhems at common law. 4 Bl. Com. 205. 
       2. These and other severe personal injuries are punished by the 
  Coventry act, (q.v.) which has been re-enacted in several of the states; 
  Ryan's Med. Jurispr. 191, Phil. ed. 1832; and by congress. Vide act of 
  April 30, 1790, s. 13, 1 Story's Laws U. S. 85; act of March 3, 1825, s. 22, 
  3 Story's L. U. S. 2006.